William swarbrick



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM SWARBRIOK, OF AINTREE, ENGLAND.

SPRING-ROLLER FOR WINDOW-BLINDS.

SPEOIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 625,366, dated May 23,1899.

Application filed December 5,1898. Serial No. 698,365. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LWILLIAM SWARBRIOK, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing at 4: Matlock avenue, Aintree, near Liverpool, in thecounty of Lancaster, England, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Spring-Rollers for Window- Blinds, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to spring-rollers for window-blinds of the kindwhich comprise a central spindle around which is coiled a spiral spring,said spindle being fixedly attached to the window-frame by means ofbrackets at each end, and an external roller journaled at each end uponsaid spindle and free to revolve thereon. One end of the spiral springis attached to the spindle and the other to the roller. The blind isrolled around the roller, and when it is pulled down by hand it causessaid roller to rotate upon the spindle, thus putting tension upon thespring. On the blind being released the expansion of the spring causes arotation of the roller in the opposite direction, and the blind is thusrerolled thereon. At one end of the spindle is arranged a concentricrace or track having at its top a sunk notch, and adjacent to said racethe roller carries one or more pawls,which ride over it and are adaptedto fall by gravity into engaging position with said notch, and

thus to hold the roller when desired against the influence of the spiralspring. When the motion of the roller is quick, the pawls have not timeto drop into said notch, and therefore skip over it; but if the motionis slow or braked one of the pawls may be allowed to drop into thenotch, and thus maintain the roller, and consequently the blind, indesired position. It is usual to provide two notches in the race atopposite points, either of which may be placed uppermost and thereforeoperative according to chance when the spindle is primarily fixed in itssupporting-brackets.

The devices and arrangements above described are common knowledge and ofthemselves form no part of my invention, which has for its object toimprove their construction so as to produce a more convenient anddurable combination, all as hereinafter pointed out and claimed. I

' In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of such portions ofa spring-roller as are necessary to show my improvements. It is taken ason line or oof Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of Fig. 1, the cap 17being removed. Fig. 3 is an elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an elevationshowing the inside of the cap 17. It also shows the race 7 in position.The pawls 18 are omitted from Fig. 1 for the sake of clearness.

Like numerals parts.

The stationary parts of my spring-roller comprise the central spindle 1,preferably of wood. At one end is a central projecting stud (not shown)as usually provided to support that end of said roller, and at the otherend the spindle is continued in the form of a stud 2 of lesseneddiameter. This stud 2 has a spike 3, which enters the spindle 1, a hole4 in said spike being provided, and through which a pin or nail isdriven to keep stud 2 in place. A metal thimble 5 is driven over the endof spindle 1 to prevent splitting. The outer end of stud 2 carries aflattened projection 6, by means of which this end of the spindle isheld in the usual bracket. The track or race 7 is formed or cast in onepiece with stud 2 and has notches 8. A portion of the spiral indicatecorresponding spring 9 is shown in Fig. 1, and its left-hand end issecured to the spindle l in known manner.

The revoluble parts of my spring-roller comprise the outer roller 10,preferably of wood. Its left-hand end is journaled on the spindle l inknown manner, while the right-hand end carries a casting or stamping 11,having two opposite arms 12, which are countersunk in the end of roller10. One of the arms 12 is channelled on its exposed surface, as at 13,and this channel receives the bent-over top end 14 of a pin or brad 15,which is driven into the end of roller 10, and whereby casting 11 isheld in place. The other arm 12 is bored through, as at 16, and the endof spring 9 is affixed to the roller 10 by being passed therethrough andbent or twisted to prevent slipping away. (See 9 in Fig. l.) A metal cap17 incloses the race 7 and acts as a checkto prevent lateral movement ofthe parts; It also carries the pawls, whose action has already beenmentioned. A great advantage of this construction lies in the fact thatthe pawls and adjacent parts are covered, and thus protected from dustand fumes, which tend to clog or corrode them. The position of the pawls18 is clearly shown in Fig. 4.

An undercut groove 19 is provided in the roller 10, and this serves as aready means for attaching the blind thereto, which is done by having ahem made along its upper extreme edge and a slight rod or cane insertedtherein. The edge thus thickened is slid longitudinally into the groove19 and a true hang of the blind assured.

For the sake of clearly illustrating my invention the notches 8 areshown in Figs. 1 and 2 as occupying ahorizontal line. They do inpractice rest vertically, as shown in Fig. 4.

What I do claim as my invention, and de sire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

In a spring-roller for blinds the combination of a fixed spindle, aroller free to revolve thereon, means for securing their relativepositions, a spring to cause relative rotation, a casting 11 having hole16 to which one end of the spring is secured, and a brad 15, withturned-over end 14 which lies in a channel 13 in said casting, wherebysaid casting is held in place in the'roller 10, substantially as described.

WILLIAM SWVARBRIOK. Witnesses:

GEO. H. Dom),

THOMAS AUDLEYa

